By Kyle Luetters
EASTABOGA, Ala. — Oct. 22, 2011 — David Gravel was able to do something in the Sage Fruit Showdown at the Talladega Short Track that no one else has been able to do in the last five World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Gravel ended Jason Meyers winning streak at five as the Watertown, Conn. grabbed his first career victory at the 1/3rd mile, high banked oval.
“This is just unbelievable,” said Gravel. “I just needed to be patient when it came to passing Jason. We had a really good car all night long and the bottom seemed to work really well for us. I knew I wanted to get clear of him before I got into lap traffic. We passed a lot of big names tonight. It’s still just so surreal. We are just winding down our season and this is our first 410 win of the season. We’ve got the World Finals coming up which is a huge event so we’re certainly looking forward to that.”
(Click here to watch a post race interview with Gravel.)
Meyers started the night’s 35 lap event from the pole position and led early. As the race neared it’s halfway point, Gravel’s patience proved to be key. Using the low groove, Gravel slid by Meyers on lap 14 and never looked back.
“We just missed a bit on our setup tonight,” said Meyers, who will be on SPEED TV’s “Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain,” this Sunday evening at 8 P.M. EST. ”Five out of six races won isn’t bad but seven of eight sounds even better. We’re really looking forward to the World Finals.”
NASCAR star Tony Stewart had his hands full battling the two machines he owns, the #15 STP/Armor All/Chevrolet of Donny Schatz and the #11 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Chevrolet of Steve Kinser. The three Tony Stewart Racing cars duked it inside the top-5 for most of the race with Schatz eventually emerging as the top finishing TSR car.
“We had a decent car here tonight,” said Schatz, who finished second. ”We would have liked to gotten a win here but we have a few more races left before this season is all over.”
Kraig Kinser emerged from two and three wide racing to secure the third position, his best finish since winning at Cottage Grove (Ore.) Speedway in early September.
“We had an awesome car tonight and I was able to pass quite a few cars,” said Kinser, driver of the #6 Casey’s General Stores Maxim.
Meyers would settle for fourth with Steve Kinser finishing fifth. NASCAR standouts Kasey Kahne and Stewart finished eighth and eleventh respectively.
The stage is now set for the final World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event of the season as the tour takes on the Lowes Foods World Finals presented by Tom’s Snacks, Coca-Cola and Natures Own at the Dirt Track at Charlotte on November 3, 4 and 5.
TALLADEGA SHORT TRACK NOTEBOOK
WINNERS – There have been 63 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events in 2011. The winners include: Craig Dollansky – 9 (Silver Dollar Speedway on March 12, Salina Highbanks Speedway on May 3, River Cities Speedway on June 17 and 18, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 1, Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 24, I-55 Raceway on August 6, Skagit Speedway on September 2, Clay County Fair Speedway on September 16); Steve Kinser – 9 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 11 and 12, Pike County Raceway on Feb. 25, the Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Lakeside Speedway on June 4, River Cities Speedway on August 19, Huset’s Speedway on August 20, Antioch Speedway on September 12, Deer Creek Speedway on September 17); Jason Meyers – 9 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 8, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23, Autodrome Drummond on July 30, Castrol Raceway on August 26, Lernerville Speedway on September 24, Williams Grove Speedway on September 30, Williams Grove Speedway on October 7, Rolling Wheels Raceway Park on October 8, Fremont Speedway on October 15); Joey Saldana – 6 (Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 3, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 19, Eldora Speedway on May 6, Beaver Dam Raceway on July 9, Hartford Motor Speedway on September 21, Eldora Speedway on September 23); Donny Schatz – 6 (Attica Raceway Park on May 20, Princeton Speedway on June 25, Limaland Motorsports Park on July 13, Bloomington Speedway on August 5, Knoxville Raceway on August 13, Black Hills Speedway on August 23); Paul McMahan – 4 (the Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 28, Belleville Highbanks on June 3, Brockville-Ontario Speedway on July 29, Silver Dollar Speedway on September 9); Sammy Swindell – 4 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 26, Merced Speedway on April 1, Tri-State Speedway on April 30, Knoxville Raceway on June 11); Jason Sides – 4 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Calistoga Speedway on April 2, I-96 Speedway on May 30, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 2); Tim Shaffer – 2 (Eldora Speedway on July 15, Lernerville Speedway on July 19); Dale Blaney – 1 (Lernerville Speedway on July 19); Cody Darrah – 1 (Castrol Raceway on august 27); David Gravel – 1 (Talladega Short Track on October 22); Sam Hafertepe Jr. – 1 (Skagit Speedway on September 3); Greg Hodnett – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Kraig Kinser – 1 (Cottage Grove Speedway on September 5); Kyle Larson – 1 (Silver Dollar Speedway on September 10); Daryn Pittman – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 13); Tony Stewart – 1 (Oshweken Speedway on July 27); Tyler Walker – 1 (Eldora Speedway on July 16.)
TIME TRIALS– Sammy Swindell was the fastest qualifier around the 1/3rd mile oval with a time of 12.642 seconds and earned five championship points. Also earning points were Steve Kinser, Jason Meyers, Donny Schatz and Lucas Wolfe. It marked Swindell’s eleventh Quick Time of the season.
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World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Talladega Short Track; Eastaboga , Ala.; October 22, 2011
A-Main – (35 Laps)
1. 89G-David Gravel[6][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz[2][$5,500]; 3. 6-Kraig Kinser[9][$3,200]; 4. 14-Jason Meyers[1][$2,800]; 5. 11-Steve Kinser[4][$2,500]; 6. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[3][$2,300]; 7. 7S-Jason Sides[16][$2,200]; 8. 49-Kasey Kahne[12][$2,100]; 9. 4-Danny Smith[14][$2,050]; 10. 1-Sammy Swindell[7][$2,000]; 11. 14S-Tony Stewart[5][$1,500]; 12. 63-Chad Kemenah[15][$1,200]; 13. 83-Paul McMahan[8][$1,100]; 14. 7-Craig Dollansky[17][$1,050]; 15. 9-Joey Saldana[11][$1,000]; 16. 25-Chris Myers[23][$900]; 17. 56R-Ryan Myers[19][$800]; 18. 10-Terry Gray[20][$800]; 19. 47-Eric Riggins Jr[24][$800]; 20. 91-Cody Darrah[13][$800]; 21. 1X-Matt Linder[22][$800]; 22. 80-Morgan Turpen[21][$800]; 23. 6R-Ian Madsen[10][$800]; 24. 66-Tommy Worley[18][$800]
Lap Leaders: Jason Meyers 1-14, David Gravel 15-35
KSE Hard Charger Award: 7S-Jason Sides[+9]
Qualifying –
1. 1-Sammy Swindell, 12.642; 2. 11-Steve Kinser, 12.899; 3. 14-Jason Meyers, 12.919; 4. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.942; 5. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 13.020; 6. 9-Joey Saldana, 13.033; 7. 6R-Ian Madsen, 13.080; 8. 14S-Tony Stewart, 13.113; 9. 83-Paul McMahan, 13.162; 10. 49-Kasey Kahne, 13.189; 11. 6-Kraig Kinser, 13.210; 12. 89G-David Gravel, 13.343; 13. 91-Cody Darrah, 13.347; 14. 4-Danny Smith, 13.356; 15. 63-Chad Kemenah, 13.394; 16. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.447; 17. 7-Craig Dollansky, 13.477; 18. 66-Tommy Worley, 13.506; 19. 56R-Ryan Myers, 13.507; 20. 10-Terry Gray, 13.709; 21. 80-Morgan Turpen, 13.854; 22. 47-Eric Riggins Jr, 13.883; 23. 1X-Matt Linder, 13.912; 24. 25-Chris Myers, 14.136; 25. 6W-Brad Wickam, 14.156; 26. 13-Todd Fayard, 14.968; 27. 28-Jeff Willingham, 14.334; 28. 96D-Nick DeFeo, 14.354
Heat 1 – (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 6R-Ian Madsen[2] ; 2. 1-Sammy Swindell[4] ; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[3] ; 4. 7S-Jason Sides[6] ; 5. 49-Kasey Kahne[1] ; 6. 91-Cody Darrah[5] ; 7. 56R-Ryan Myers[7] ; 8. 47-Eric Riggins Jr[8] ; 9. 96D-Nick DeFeo[10] ; 10. 6W-Brad Wickam[9]
Heat 2 – (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 14S-Tony Stewart[2] ; 2. 6-Kraig Kinser[1] ; 3. 11-Steve Kinser[4] ; 4. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[3] ; 5. 4-Danny Smith[5] ; 6. 7-Craig Dollansky[6] ; 7. 1X-Matt Linder[8] ; 8. 10-Terry Gray[7] ; 9. 13-Todd Fayard[9]
Heat 3 – (10 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 83-Paul McMahan[2] ; 2. 89G-David Gravel[1] ; 3. 9-Joey Saldana[3] ; 4. 63-Chad Kemenah[5] ; 5. 80-Morgan Turpen[7] ; 6. 14-Jason Meyers[4] ; 7. 25-Chris Myers[8] ; 8. 66-Tommy Worley[6] ; 9. 28-Jeff Willingham[9]
Dash – (8 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature)
1. 14-Jason Meyers[2] ; 2. 15-Donny Schatz[1] ; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe[5] ; 4. 11-Steve Kinser[3] ; 5. 14S-Tony Stewart[7] ; 6. 89G-David Gravel[10] ; 7. 1-Sammy Swindell[4] ; 8. 83-Paul McMahan[8] ; 9. 6-Kraig Kinser[9] ; 10. 6R-Ian Madsen[6]
B-Main – (12 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature)
1. 66-Tommy Worley[1] [-]; 2. 56R-Ryan Myers[2] [-]; 3. 10-Terry Gray[3] [-]; 4. 1X-Matt Linder[5] [-]; 5. 25-Chris Myers[6] [-]; 6. 47-Eric Riggins Jr[4] [-]; 7. 6W-Brad Wickam[7] [$200]; 8. 13-Todd Fayard[8] [$180]; 9. 28-Jeff Willingham[9] [$175]; 10. 96D-Nick DeFeo[10] [$160]
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Points as of 10-22-11:
Pos.
Driver
Total
Diff
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
QT
1
Jason Meyers
8645
9
40
54
11
2
Donny Schatz
8381
-264
6
31
50
2
3
Steve Kinser
8374
-271
9
30
49
3
4
Paul McMahan
8226
-419
4
20
45
10
5
Craig Dollansky
8178
-467
9
27
44
3
6
Jason Sides
8125
-520
4
21
42
3
7
Lucas Wolfe
7638
-1007
0
7
25
0
8
Kraig Kinser
7560
-1085
1
6
22
0
9
Chad Kemenah
7426
-1219
0
5
18
4
10
Cody Darrah
7170
-1475
1
6
18
0
11
Joey Saldana
6991
-1654
6
21
30
6
12
Sammy Swindell
6891
-1754
4
19
30
11
13
Bill Rose
6366
-2279
0
1
4
0
14
Kerry Madsen
5514
-3131
0
7
21
0
15
Brad Sweet
5072
-3573
0
10
25
2
16
Sam Hafertepe Jr.
2879
-5766
1
5
12
1
17
Ben Gregg
2723
-5922
0
1
2
0
18
Austen Wheatley
2127
-6518
0
0
0
0
19
Daryn Pittman
2092
-6553
1
6
10
1
20
Tim Shaffer
2069
-6576
2
9
13
1